NCERT Exemplar Solutions Class 6 Science Garbage In Garbage OutA

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

Question 1:   The method of preparing compost with the help of earthworms, is called

(a) composting  

(b) vermicomposting

(c) manuring      

(d) Decomposing

Solution 1:  The right thing for which selection is made is (b) vermicomposting. 

With the assistance of earthworms, vermicomposting is a method of preparing compost. It is an outstanding way to get the most out of waste and also save a lot of money spent on purchasing costly chemical fertilizers and manure from the market.

Question 2:  If you dump kitchen waste in a pit, it may, after sometime
(a) convert into compost
(b) convert into vermicomposting
(c) remain as such
(d) remain forever in its dried form

Solution 2:  The right thing for which selection is made is (a) convert into compost.

After some time, kitchen waste dumped in a pit can turn into compost. Kitchen waste is biodegradable and can be decomposed into compost by micro-organisms that are used as manure. Compost is a fertilizer of natural origin.

Question 3:  Which of the following activities does not reflect responsible behavior with regard to waste disposal?
(a) Goods carried in paper bags or cloth bags
(b) Waste collected in polythene bags for disposal
(c) Waste separated into those that degrade and those that do not
(d) Making handicrafts with used up notebooks

Solution 3:   The right thing for which selection is made is (b) Waste collected in polythene bags for disposal. 

Waste gathered for disposal in polythene bags does not represent responsible conduct.

This is because they are non-biodegradable polythene bags. They do not decompose on their own in nature and are consumed by cattle along with garbage food, thereby causing harm to them.

Question 4:   Paheli gave the following ill effects of the practice of burning dried leaves 1 and other plant parts

i)        Burning degrades the soil.

ii)       Burning produces harmful gases/fumes.

iii)     Precious raw materials to obtain manure at low cost are lost.

iv)     Loss of heat is generated unnecessarily

The correct reasons of why we should not burn leaves are

(a) i, ii and iv    (b) i, ii, iii and iv

(c) ii and iii       (d) ii, iii, and iv 

Solution 4:  The right thing for which selection is made is (b) i, ii, iii and iv. 

All the ill effects mentioned above are caused by the practice of burning dried leaves and other plant parts. Converting it into useful compost is the best way to deal with this waste.

Question 5:   A garbage collector separate items mentioned below in the garbage into , red, green and blue containers for their transfer to landfill, composting pit and recycling unit, respectively.

(i) Plastic bags            (ii) Newspaper and journals

(iii) Screw and nuts     (iv) Vegetable peels

(v) Metal chips            (vi) Egg shells

which item were transferred to which bin?

Solution 5:  The right thing for which selection is made is (c).

Hazardous waste, such as plastic containers, screws and nuts and metal chips, is discarded in a red container. The agricultural waste, i.e. potato peels and egg shells, is placed in the green bin. Recyclable content waste, i.e. newspapers and magazines, is dumped into the blue bin.

Question 6:   The steps required for conversion of kitchen garbage into manure are given below in a jumbled form.

(i) Put garbage in a pit.

(ii) Cover the bottom of the pit with sand.

(iii) Cover the pit loosely with a gunny bag or grass.

(iv) Add worms.

Which of the following shows the correct sequence of the above steps?

(a) (ii), (i), (iv), (iii)     (b) (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

(c) (ii), (iv), (i), (iii)     (d) (iv), (i), (ii), (iii)

Solution 6:  The right thing for which selection is made is (a) (ii), (i), (iv), (iii). 

Vermicomposting is the name of this process of making manure from kitchen garbage using worms.

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 7:  Read the items mentioned in Columns I and II and fill in the related process in the Column III.

Solution 7:

(i) Vermicomposting.

(ii) Garbage disposal/landfill.

(iii) Recycling.

Question 8:   Correct the definitions of certain terms given below by changing only one word.

a)      Compost Substances converted into manure for use in industries.

b)      Landfill Garbage buried under water in an area.

c)       Recycling Reuse of unused material in the same or another form.

Solution 8:

a)      The compost substance is processed for use in agricultural fields into manure.

b)      Landfill Garbage is deposited in an area beneath the soil.

c)       Recycling the material used is reused in the same or other form.

Question 9:  Provide the suitable term that expresses the meaning of each of the following statements.

(a) Greeting cards made from newspaper.

(b) Contents of the waste bins.

(c) Worms converting certain kinds of waste into manure.

(d) An area where a lot of garbage is collected, spread out and covered with soil.

Solution 9:   The following is an apt term that describes/expresses the context of the statements given above:

(a) Recycling

(b) Garbage

(c) Vermicomposting

(d) Landfills

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 10:  To what use can you put the following kinds of garbage and how?

a)      Rotting smelly garbage 

b)      Dry leaves collected in garbage

c)       Old newspapers

Solution 10:

a)      Rotting smelly garbage through composting can be converted into compost. The method of converting materials from plant and animal waste into manure by rotting is called composting.

b)      The process of producing compost from dry leaves by using red worms is called vermicomposting. Dry leaves collected in a garbage can be used as manure by vermicomposting.

c)       For producing paper bags or paper pulp for handicrafts, old newspapers can be recycled. Recycling is the mechanism by which waste materials are converted into new goods to minimize waste and emissions.

Question 11:  Paheli was writing a letter to her friend. She crumpled and threw the first draft of her letter on the floor as it had become untidy. Similarly, she crumpled and threw 6 more papers on the ground. In the end, she picked them up and put them in a polythene bag and threw it on the road outside her house.

Do you think, Paheli’s action were responsible? What would you have done if you were in her place?

Solution 11:   No, Paheli's actions were not, in my view, liable. She wastes paper and uses a bag of polythene. I would have used the reverse side of the paper to do rough work or turned it into paper pulp to make a handicraft object if I had been in her place.

Question 12:  Read the poem written below and then answer the questions from the information gathered from the book or elsewhere.
Blue and Green
Two bins, you mean?
Yes, they are there
to throw your waste
But not in a hurry
Nor in a haste.

Select from waste, sieve if seems muddy Separate all items and when they are ready Place in a blue bin, or one that is green for a voyage to the landfill, or for composting.
(a) Name the two kinds of waste that need to be separated from each other in two different waste bins.
(b) Name two items of waste each that need to be sent to a (i) landfill (ii) for composting.

Solution 12:

a)      Biodegradable waste and non-biodegradable waste are two kinds of waste which need to be segregated. The former is part of garbage that can be used by bacteria to create harmless substances, and the latter is part of garbage that cannot rot or decay.

b)      Name of two waste items each that need to be sent to a:

i)        Landfill: - A section of waste that cannot be disposed of by any process is poured into a landfill, e.g. any pieces of metal.

ii)       For composting: - You can submit the rotted plant and animal waste for composting. To turn it to manure, the microorganisms may operate on these wastes. 

Question 13:  Beera, a farmer would clear his field every day and burn dry leaves fallen on the ground. After sometime, he found that those people living in huts near his field were suffering from cough and breathing problems.

a)      Can you explain, why?

b)      Also suggest an environment friendly way to dispose the dry leaves.

Solution 13:

a)      The fumes and gases created by the combustion of dry leaves have caused the people living in the surrounding area to cough and breathe problems.

b)      Using them to produce compost is an environmentally safe way of disposing of dry leaves.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 14:  Put a tick (✓) against the garbage items given in table which could be converted into manure. Put a cross (X) against the others.

Solution 14:  The given table shows garbage items that can be converted into manure or not.

Important Note: It is possible to convert biodegradable waste, such as plant and animal waste, to manure. 

Question 15:  The pie charts A and B shown in the figure are based on waste segregation method adopted by two families X and Y, respectively.

Which of the two families X or Y, do you think is more environmentally conscious and why?

Solution 15:  The X family is more environmentally aware because their kitchen waste and polythene bags are separately disposed of.

The benefit of separate treatment is that kitchen waste is biodegradable and can be turned into compost. By comparison, polythene bags are non-biodegradable and cannot be recycled or broken down.

Question 16:  Given below are steps in vermicomposting and each step has been given an alphabet. Rearrange the steps in the correct sequence and write the alphabets on the chart provided. One step is done for you.

F  Dig a pit in a suitable place in your garden.

C  Spread sand on the floor of the pit.

E  Add vegetable peels and fruits waste in the pit.

A  Sprinkle water to keep it moist.

D  Place red worms in the pit.

B  Cover with a gunny bag or grass.

Step                1         -          F

                          2         - 

                          3         -

                          4         -

                          5         -

                          6         -

Solution 16:   Vermicomposting is a composting process where, with the help of red worms, compost is made from biodegradable waste.

The steps in this process are

   1              =              F

   2              =              C

   3              =              E

   4              =              B

   5              =              A

   6              =              D

Question 17:  Write three sentences on what comes to your mind when you get a chance to see the following:
(a) A rag picker
(b) A cow eating a polythene bag.
(c) Foul odor emanating from garbage at the entrance of your house.

Solution 17:  When we see the following things, they come to our mind:

(a) A rag picker:-

i)        Poor workers who work because of poverty.

ii)       They eliminate the garbage that others generate.

iii)     They are exposed to hazardous substances that are produced by radioactive waste.

(b) A cow eating a bag of polythene:-

i)        Due to our error of using polythene containers, cows are exposed to toxic materials.

ii)       The risk that polythene will choke the animal to death can exist.

iii)     Incorrect/Inappropriate disposal by us of polythene.

(c) Foul odor that emanates from waste at the entrance to our house:-

i)        A significant amount of the waste produced in the house must be present.

ii)       The pollution has left the world unhealthy.

iii)     The waste that disturbs the beauty of the house is an unwelcome sight.

Question 18:  Beautiful handcrafted articles like boxes and toys are made up of paper pulp in our country. Can you explain how paper pulp which is made from paper can be used to make hard boxes and other articles?

Solution 18:  We can make hard boxes or other items from recycled paper pulp by following these basic steps:

Step I: - By unfolding a tiny, one-piece cardboard box, make a stencil and draw it on a cardboard piece that is the same size as your mold. Then, cut out that pattern with scissors. 

Step II: - Place the box stencil between the mold and the lid.

Step III: - In one continuous step, lift the mold, deckle and stencil to the surface and then extract them from the pulp.

Step IV: - Take the stencil out of the package and let the paper dry.

Step V: - Assemble the box with the edges folded and glued or taped. Decorate it as required by you. 

Question 19:  Recently, a ban on plastic bags has been imposed in many places. Is the ban justified? Give reasons in three sentences.

Solution 19:   The recent plastic bag prohibition is justified because:

(i) There are scarce resources used to make the bags.

(ii) When disposed of improperly, they destroy the ecosystem and are often visible roadside litter blight.

(iii) As they are non-biodegradable, the cost of disposing or recycling them is high.

Question 20:  Why should we not bum plastic items?

Solution 20:  We should not burn objects of plastic because

i)        They do not readily burn.

ii)       They contain poisonous gases that are also toxic when burned and left over from the ashes.

iii)     They contribute to soil contamination.

iv)     Cows may eat the burnt bits, which may choke them to death.

v)      Various respiratory conditions arise from poisonous gases.

Question 21:  What happens when

a)      Cooking medium is made to flow down a drain?

b)      Insecticides, motor oil, paints are poured down the drain?

c)       Tea leaves, cotton swabs and old soft toys are thrown into the drain?

Solution 21:

a)      If a cooking medium is made to flow down a drain, the pores in the soil may be obstructed and the pipes may also be blocked.

b)      If insecticides, motor oil and paints are poured down the drain, valuable microbes that help purify water can be destroyed.

c)       When tea leaves, cotton swabs and old soft toys are dropped into the drain, the drains can be blocked and the area's water supply blocked.

Question 22:  Answer the following questions in one or two words or sentences.

a)      Why should we prefer to use paper bags rather than polythene bags?

b)      Who out of the following should properly dispose of the garbage-father, mother, elder brother, younger sister?

c)       Which one out of beetles, roundworm and earthworm are used for vermicomposting and why?

Solution 22:

a)      Instead of using polythene bags, we should prefer using paper bags as paper can be easily decomposed. This reduces the production of plastic trash.

b)      It is the responsibility of every member of the society or family to properly dispose of the waste.

c)       Earthworms are the best organisms to be used for vermicomposting because the waste from plants, animals or their products is converted by them into compost.